Improvement in automatic machines for lighting and extinguishing gas



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. S. RICHARDSON.

Automatic Machin for. Lighting and Extinguishing Gas. No. 55,909.Patented June 26. 1866.

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. r '2 Sheets-Sh|eet H. S. RICHARDSON.

Automatic Machine for Lighting and Extinguishing Gas. no. 55,909.Patented June'26. i866.

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N. PETERS, Viv-h ng! [1 G UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. STONE RICHARDSON. OF MANLIUS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND E. P.RUSSELL, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC MACHINES FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,909, dated June '26,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, H. STONE RICHARDSON, of Manlius, in Onondaga county,in the State of New York, have invented a new and usefulMachineibrAutomatically Lighting and Extinguishing Gas or other Lights;and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of referencethereon marked.

The nature of my invention principally consists in combining asuitabletime-keeping device with a suitable device for turning a gas or othercock, so that the machine may automatically turn the gas on or off atany hour to which it may be set, all of which will more fullyhereinafter appear. I

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will describe itsconstruction and operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, showing the time-dialand the settingdial. Fig. 2 is afront elevation,with the faceof the caseremoved, so as to show the arrangement of the clock-work device and itsconnection with the setting-wheel. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, with therear of the case removed so as to show themeohanism for operating thegas-cock. Fig. 4 is a plan view, the case being in section, showing theconnection between the clock-work device and the turning device.

My invention is more particularly intended to be used for lighting andextinguishing street gas-lights, but is, of course, applicable to otherpurposes.

In the drawings, A represents a cast or stamped metal case, in which themachine is placed, and it serves as the outer frame-work, to which someof the parts are fixed.

B represents the common clock-work of an eight-day spring-clock, and itis duly provided with a time-dial, b, and hour and minute hands a and c,for showing the hour, and communicates motion to the setting-wheel.

O is the setting-wheel provided with hands 0? and e, for respectivelysetting the hours at which the gas is to be turned on and 011'. Thiswheel is provided with a hollow spindle, f,

within which turns the cam-shaft g, within which is the shaft hot theother cam.

D and D are the cams on shafts g and h, and they alternately turn thegas on or off.

F F is the gas pipe and cock, the cook be ing so constructed that whenturned on another quarter-turn in the same direction will turn it off.This cock is provided with a small cog-wheel, 2', actuated by a largerwheel, j, forming the front plate of the lighter-barrel. These twowheels i andj are so proportioned and geared that one-seventh of arevolution of the larger wheel shall produce one-fourth of a revolutionof the smaller one.

G is the lighter-barrel or match-cylinder, and it is made to revolve bya suitable coiled spring, S, contained within the cylinder. It is alsoprovided with seven match-tubes, it, into which? suitable squib forother matches are to be placed. A friction-slip, l, is placed near theopening of the draft-tube H, so as to draw the flame up to the burner I.

J is a stationary plate forming the rear end of the match-cylinder, andis provided with two detent-teeth, l and 2, being far enough apart toallow the revolving cylinder G to make one-seventh of arevolutionwhenever both detents have let go their hold.

K are seven dogs pivoted at the margin of the IIlfiIGlLCYliIldGI G,andin turn catch against the teeth 1 and-2. The dog K escapes from toothl at the instant that the match is lighted and the gas is turned on, asshown in Fig. 3. At the same time dog K catches against the tooth 2 anddetains the match-cylinder until the time arrives for extinguishing. thelight.

L L are the two operating dog-levers, each being pivoted to the plate J,and provided with tripping-levers H for tripping the dogs K.

D D are two cams, respectively fast to their shafts g and h, by whichthe cams are revolved.

N N are two cam-levers, pivoted at the studs 3 3 and operated by thecams M M.

O O are two connecting-levers, having one end pivoted at studs 44 andthe other resting under the end of dog-levers L. The end of cam-lever Nrests under the center of connecting-lever O and causes it to elevatethe for automatic operation for seven days. After dial indicates 12oclock, m.

vK from the tooth l.

the expiration of this time the machine is again wound and resuppliedwith matches. The cams and other machinery should be so adjusted, for instauce, that when the on-hand (1 indicates 24 the gas shall be turnedon and lighted, and when the off-hand 0 reaches the same 24 the gasshall be turned off and extinl guished.

Suppose, then, that we wish to light the gas at 7 oelock' in theevening, we fix the on-hand d at 7 at the same time that the time- Thetime-hands and setting-hands will move together at the same rate forseven hours, or until 7 p. m., at

which time the hand (1 will reach the 24, and the proper mechanism willturn on and light the If itis desired to turn off the gas at 4 oclock inthe morning, the oif-hand e is set at 16, or the number (9) of hoursbehind the on-hand thatitis intended the gas shall burn. When theoff-hand 0 gets to 24 the on-hand d will have reached 17, and at theinstant that the hand 0 reaches 24 it will cause the appropriatemechanism to turn off and extinguish the gas.

Fig. 3 shows the attitude of the machine in the act of lighting the gas,the gas having just been turned on and the match ignited.

As the setting-wheel O revolves (being driven by wheel Z of theclock-work) it revolves its two shafts g and h, which are made fast withit, by means of hands (I and e, and they turn their two cams DD. Cam Dpresses down the inner'end of cam-lever N, so as to prevent it fromtripping dog K until the set time. As soon as the set time comes, andjust as the cam-lever escapes from the highest to the lowest point ofthe cam, the cam-lever releases the connecting lever O, and thus permitsthe spring P to instantly depress the outer end of dog-lever L, whichraises its inner end and its tripping-lever Z so as to disengage the dogThe very instant this is done the match-cylinder G makes one-fourteenthof a revolution, and by means of cogwheels 1 and j gives a quarter-turnto the cock and lets on the gas. At the same instant the match containedin match-tube 7c is ignited and its flame thrown up draft-chimney H, andcomes in contact with the flame and lights the gas. When the dog K hasthus escaped from .tooth 1 dog K is stopped by tooth 2, where it is helduntil the set time has arrived for turning oh the gas. When this timecomes cam D releases cam-lever N, which releases connecting-lever 0,thus permitting spring P to depress lever L, and thereby make thetripping-lever l disengage the dog K As soon as this is done thecylinder G makes a fourteenth of a revolution, and through cogs t' and jgives a quarter-turn to the gas-cock, thus turning off the gas andextinguishing the light. The mechanism will all then remain inactive,except the clock-work, until 7 oclock, p. m., of the next day, when thesame process will be repeated, and in like manner the machinery willcontinue to light and extinguish the gas for seven nights. The machinewill then be rewound and be supplied with more matches.

The time-dial will at all times serve to indicate the time.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The setting-wheel U, in combination with the hands (I and c, shafts gand h, and cams D D, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The matchcylinder G, constructed and operating substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

3. The dogs K, K, and K in combination \Vllll cylinder G and plate J,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The cams D D, cam-levers N N, connecting-levers 0 O, dog-levers L L,and springs P P, constructed and arranged substantially as and for-thepurposes set forth.

5.'The setting-wheel 0, provided with 00g wheelj, when so combined withcock cog-wheel 'i as to alternately turn the gas on or off,substantially as herein set forth and described.

6. The draft-pipe H, operatingsubstantially as described. and incombination with the match-tubes k.

In testimony that I claim the above I hereunto set my hand.

H. STONE RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH BAKER,

M. A. BAKER.

